


Lucretia's Barrier

by ToTillAGarden



Series: Lucretia Week [3]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Gen, Lucretia Week - Freeform, but none of them say much, look at me integrating day 3 through one line of my day 4 fic!, so talented, there are more characters - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 01:21:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11956734
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToTillAGarden/pseuds/ToTillAGarden
Summary: Lucretia gets a series of visitors, and they all ask her the same question.





	Lucretia's Barrier

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry about yesterday, but here's Lucretia Week day 4! Also sorry for the tardiness, but inspiration ran low today and this required a lot of research, and so I'm glad I came up with something!
> 
> On a better note, thank you so much for the good reception to Static!!! I'm getting the feeling you guys like my Davenport angst, which is phenomenal because I have a lot of that to share, but this is Lucretia week - so more Lucretia it is!
> 
> Speaking of, I'll probably see you tomorrow with something new - I end late, so I don't know for sure, but I'll try - and I really hope you enjoy!

“Hey Lucretia?”  
She looked up from her paperwork; after the day of story and song, she started working in the presence of others more, but it still surprised her when she was interrupted, especially when she realized who it was. “Barry? I didn’t know you were still here.”  
He laughed. “I’ve been in and out, but as much as I hate this moon base, it’s better than that cave I holed up in for a decade.”  
She joined him - a quieter laugh, but one nonetheless - and then put her papers down. “What did you need me for?”  
“I just realized - it’s been what, like. 50 years? Well, I’ve seen you for only 40 of those, but anyway. It’s been so long, and I’ve never asked you how you made that spell.”  
“The barrier around the Hunger?”  
He nodded. “It just seems like it’s so many spells combined - casting it around yourself is probably hard enough.”  
“I did have those 40 years to practice it.” She smiled. “But to answer your question, it started out as Shield of Faith - I asked Merle for help with that one - and my Arcane Ward, and I just added more spells I knew from there.”   
“I’m guessing it’s the practice that spared you those spell slots?”   
“That and my staff.” She laughed. “It’ll help you cast it, if you ask it nicely enough.”  
He took the staff - she was sitting on a couch, and it leaned behind her - and she chided it, mentally, for giving its usual thrall speech in Barry’s head before he cast a barrier of his own. It formed in layers, and Lucretia recognized them all; the Arcane Ward and Shield of Faith the staff provided, and then a Blade Ward, Mage Armor, a Magic Circle - all things Barry had probably learned before delving into necromancy - yet, unlike her silvery-white bubble, Barry’s bubble was a semi-transparent black, and was shaped like his silhouette.  
She applauded him. “You did it!”  
“Not before the light roasted me over not knowing any abjuration spells.” He joked. “I forgot how much I hated that thing. It’s all in your staff now, right?”  
She nodded. “It’s a lot less powerful than the whole light would be, with that barrier blocking the Hunger -“  
“But there’s still enough of it there to be annoying, got it.”  
She nodded, and he handed her staff back to her. “Did that help?”  
“Yeah - thanks.”

~

“Yo Lu, you got a minute?”  
“Yes, though it’s rare for you to ask that.” She laughed. “What’s up?”  
“Barry told me about how he tried your bubble thing… Do you think I could get a shot at it?”  
Lucretia nodded, and handed it to her, quickly documenting the event. Both Barry and Lup had their fair share of general magical curiosity and both weren’t there to see the final battle, but they normally left the trying it out to Lucretia herself, so this was a change; but she also was interested, after seeing the shape, color and composition of Barry’s barrier, to see Lup’s as well.   
And she drew it with one hand, and wrote it down with the other; the staff’s Arcane Ward and Shield of Faith, and her Mage Armor, Nondetection, and Dispel Magic all layered to create a translucent red umbrella that opened over her, and she could feel Lup’s shock as she quickly dispelled the spell, thanked her, and ran.

~

Angus asked for it next, but Lucretia gave a slightly different answer this time.  
“Before you take it, Angus, can I ask you to be honest with me?”  
“Sure!”  
“You’re the third person to ask me about the barrier - is it solely out of curiosity, or is there something I’m not understanding?”  
“No, not at all, ma’am - I’m just the world’s greatest detective and curious magic student, that’s all!”  
“Is that it?”  
“Yep! Nothing shady here!”  
“Okay.” She smiled - the adult ‘I know more than you’ type smile - and handed him the staff. “Can you wait a moment? I’ve been taking notes.”  
She flipped through her notebook and wrote down furiously for a minute, then looked up at Angus and nodded. He formed a barrier of his own, one made out of the classic Arcane Ward, Shield of Faith, and Mage Armor but also his own Protection from Energy and Private Sanctum - spells she honestly didn’t know he could cast - and it was shaped like a blue book that opened up over his head, his learning creating his shield. He looked at it in awe yet she could see the beads of sweat on his forehead as the spell broke and he handed it back, thanking her profusely before admitting “I need to work on that…” and running out of the room.

~

It was shortly after that - only about a month after Angus had came - that she got the two letters that made all the pain, from the barrier she made to the decisions she made, finally, finally fade.

 

_Dear Lucretia,_   
_The Abjuration Department of Taako’s Amazing School of Magic cordially requests to incorporate Lucretia’s Barrier, as the technique will now be called, into our curriculum. It would be an honor to teach such legendary, world-changing magic, and we hope we can use your example to raise a new generation of innovative and professional magic-users._

_Also, happy birthday. If you ever want to do some guest lecturing hit me up. Angus drew you some crayon drawings - they’re probably shitty, but he wouldn’t let me see them._

_Signed,_

_Taako Taaco_   
_Ren_   
_and the Abjuration Department, courtesy of Taako’s Amazing School of Magic and Taako™ Co._

 

_Hello ma’am!_   
_I thought you’d appreciate seeing what everyone’s barriers looked like, for science purposes and as a birthday gift! So I drew them all as best as I could - I had to go all the way to Taako’s school just to find crayons, but I hope this helps and reminds you of everyone when you need to know we’ve got your back. I know you’re working very hard, but when you have time, you should visit more often! I want to show you what I’ve learned, and I think everyone could use your company._

_Love,_   
_~Angus McDonald_

_P.S. Sorry for asking Carey to steal your staff for a night! You were catching on and I wanted this to be a surprise. Like a birthday surprise! For a birthday gift. So hopefully that’s ok. I’ll see you soon maybe? Write back if you can!_

_P.P.S. If you can’t tell, Taako’s is a green hat, Magnus wanted one but he can’t cast magic so I drew him with a brown duck one even though the staff didn’t budge, Lup’s is a red umbrella but you saw that already and she’s trying to make it be a fireball instead so I drew two for her, Barry got a shadow one but you saw that already too, Kravitz got a gray cloud, and Davenport got a gold ship, but yours is the moon, and I don’t know if you noticed that, but I think it’s the coolest._

**Author's Note:**

> Guys, I love Angus being a bad liar so much.... Also do you guys see the day 3 being snuck in here? Do you?
> 
> Remember to leave feedback if you liked it~


End file.
